Change speed mechanism



Aug. 29, 1933. s. E. sEcoY 1,924,756

CHANGE SPEED MECHANISM Filed Feb. 15, 1953 INVENTOL Br l ATTORNEY.

V 427 SAMUEL 5.55am/ Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES CHANGE SPEEDMECHANISM Samuel E. Secoy, Newcastle, Ind., assignor of one-half toHiram L. Smith, Newcastle, Ind.

Applieation February-15, 1933. serial No. 656,785

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in change-speed mechanisms. 'Iheobject of the invention is to provide a device of the above descriptionwhich is quiet inY operation, durable,

5 and dependable. Other and more specic purposes of the invention are toprovide a mechanism which is economical of manufacture, and which is ofstructure to lend itself to uses of wide range.

The aims of my invention are accomplished by, and the invention isembodied in the new construction, combination and arrangement'of partsillustrated in the accompanying. drawing, and described in the followingspecification. i

The several parts of the invention are identied by suitable charactersof reference applied to them in the different views in the drawing, inwhich'- Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view of my improvedchange-speed mechanism, a portion of the wall of the casing, and certainof the parts, and portions of parts, being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view, on the line 2-4-2, looking upwardlyin thedirection of arrow 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view, on the line 3 3, looking upwardly inthe direction of arrow 3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view, on a reduced scale, on the line 4 4,looking upwardly in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view, on a reduce scale, on the line 5-5,looking upwardly in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional plan view, on a reduced scale, taken on the line6-6, looking downwardly in the direction of arrow 6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view, on a reduced scale, on the line 5-5in Figure 1, looking downwardly in th direction of arrow 7,

A typical embodiment of the invention, and

one that is intended to effect a substantial.

projects, is. the top oi' the device. The invention is capable of beingpracticed in the embodiments of various sizes and for divers purposes.When intended for use in power plants for motor vehicles, pumpingmachinery, and like installa- -V tions, an embodiment relatively smallsize, such as the one vherein ustrated wherein the casing is about eightby eight inches in inside dimensions, may be used.

The driving element, designated as driving shaft 1, has the integrallyformed disk shaped head 2 and it is rotatably mounted in ball bearing 3which is seated in wall 4 that constitutes a part of the casing. On thebottom face of said head is annuler bau bearing retaining the balls 6which roll in race 7 provided therefor upon the inner face of casingwall 4.

On a line diametric of head 2 and spaced equidistant from the axialcenter of saidhead, are semihemispherical sockets. Disposed in the saidsockets are steel balls 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 6. 4

A rotor which consists of a cylindrical body 11 is provided with aperipheral groove which provides bearing ways or faces 12, 13, and 14.30 The axial center of the rotor is coincident with the center of ball10, and at its bottom face 'are diametric runways 15 and 16-which are atright angles to each other. On the top face of the rotor on a diametricline which is at a right angle to the diametric line upon which arelocated the balls 10 and 11, are provided spaced semihemisphericalsockets. In these sockets are dis-A posed steel balls 1'8 and 20.

The driven' member, designated as driven shaft 21, embodies a diskshaped head 22. Provided on the bottom of said head 22 are diametricrunways 23 and 24, at a right angle to each other, and at an angle offorty-five degrees to the aforesaidrunways 15 and 16.

Balls 25 of annular anti-friction bearing which is provided on the topface of the head 22 have bearing in a. suitable race provided thereforon the inner face of the casing wall 26.

A divided frame consists of sections 31 and 32, whose heads are unitedby bolts 33 and 34. This frame is provided with a bore 35 which is ofdiameter slightly larger than the diameter of the rotor and it has acentral integral ring shaped shoulder 36. In each side of said shoulderare spaced transverse circular recesses 37 which extend to the centerVoi said shoulder. The

lpositions ofthe recesses of one sideof said shoulder are alternatedwith the positions of the Seated in the said recesses are balls 39 andballs 40. The axial centers of these recesses are such that theperipheral faces of the balls protrude slightly beyond the periphery,and slightly beyond the sides of the said shoulder.

United with said frame sections 31 and 32 are plates 42 and 43 whichconstitute the end walls of the casing. It will be observed that.

the base portion of section 32 is sufficiently longer than the baseportion of the base of section 31 that the center of the ring shapedbore 35 of said frame is eccentric to the axial center of the saiddriving shaft and said driven shaft. and the axis of the rotor iscoincident, as here-.- inbefore stated, with the center of ball 10.

It will be understood that in processing the frame, the sections thereofaie bolted together at the machined faces of the heads, and then thereis machined the bore 35 and annular shoulder 36. To assemble' themechanism, the said frame sections 31 and 32 are iirst taken apart byremoving the bolts 33 and 34. Balls 39 and 40 are then disposed in therecesses 3'? at each side of said shoulder 36. At this stage, the saidballs may be retained against easy dislodgement by a-packing of cupgrease at the said recesses. The frame sections are then disposed inposition, their head portions being in engagement, and the balls 39 and40 being in position in the raceway groove of the rotor 11. At the sametime, the casing plates 42 and 43 will have been brought into engagementwith the ends of the bottom and top plates 4 and 26 respectively.` Theyare then secured by cap screws 45.

Lastly, the casing plates 46 and 47 are placed in position and they aresecured by cap screws 48 and 49. The head portions of the frame may bestayed by cap screws 50 that are passed through the casing plates 46 and47.

Operation of the invention will be understood by referring to thedrawing. The balls 10 and l1 function in the manner of wrists,transmitting power from the head 2 tothe rotor as they roll in therunways 15 and. 16. In the embodiment shown, there are two revolutionsof the rotor, during a single revolution of the driving head 2.

- The rotor having the balls 18 and 20 and which are operable in therunways 23 and 24 of the head 22, there is a step-up of tworevolutionsof the head 22 for each revolution of the rotor. Further increase in thedifferential of speed between the shafts may be had by the addition of arotor member adapted to be actuated by member 22.

Suitable lubricant introduced at the inlet 54, and which is retained inthe casing, affords lubrication for all`of the bearing parts andsurfaces. Discharge of said lubricant for refllling, is had at theoutlet 55.

A mechanism constructed according to my invention is strong, durable andclose-built. It lends itself to easy modification in form, size and`proportions, and its several parts are firmly retained in truealignment and against vibration, and against the most severe driving,torque and thrust strains. The several moving parts receive ample anduniform lubrication, and the device operates practically noiselessly andwith a minimum of friction. In installations where the driven shaft isthe one that is intended to be operated at the lower speed, the positionof the mechanism as a whole is reversed, the power for driving, beingapplied to shaft 21. There now results a speed reduction, there beingeight revolutions of the shaft 1, during a single revolution of theshaft 21. The device occupies a minimum of space, and it is practicableof operation either in vertical or horizontal position, or in anyposition of incline. It will be understood that the proportions anddimensions of the several workfing parts, and the mounting thereof, andthe detail formation of the several anti-friction bearings, may bemodified to accord with various conditions, and methodsof processing,without departing from the principles of my invention and that theinvention is to be construed as being of breadth and scope in conformitywith the language of the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A change-speed mechanism, comprisingopposed proximate' rotatable members in offset axial alignment, the headof one having projecting diametrically opposed anti-friction powertransmitting members spaced equidistant from the axial center of saidhead, and the head of the other rotatable member having diametricgrooves at right angles to each other, the axial center of said headbeing coincident with. the center of one of the said power transmittingmembers, and one of the grooves being in engagement with the said powertransmitting members.

2. A change-speed mechanism, comprising opposed headed rotatable membersin offset alignment, the head of one having diametrically opposedsemi-hemispherical sockets spaced equidistant from its center, a ball ineach socket, and the head of the other rotatable member having diametricgrooves at right angle to each other,

'one of which engages said balls, and the center of said last namedrotatable member being coincident with the center of one of said balls.

3. A change-speed device comprising a frame, opposed headed membersmounted for rotatable movement but which are held against longitudinalmovement in said frame, the said members being in offset alignment and.the head of one having diametrically opposed semi-hemispherical socketsequidistant from its center, a ball in each of said sockets, and thehead of the other rotatable member having diametric grooves semicircularin cross section and at right angles to each other, one of which engagessaid balls, and the center of said last named rotatable member beingcoincident with the center of one ofthe said balls.

4. A changespeed mechanism, comprising opposed rotatable members inoffset alignment one having diametrically opposed semi-hemisphericalsockets spaced equidistant from its center, a ball in each socket, andthe other rotatable member having diametric grooves at right angle toeach other one of which engages said balls, and the axis of said lastnamed rotatable member being coincident with the axis of one of theballs and the other side of said last named rotatable member havingdiametrically opposed semi-hemispherical sockets spaced equidistantfrom-its center, a ball in each socket, a third rotatable member inaxial alignment with the rst named rotatable member and which isprovided with diametric grooves at right angle to each other, one ofwhich said grooves engages lthe said lastl named balls.

5. A change-speed mechanism, comprising a casing having opposed wallplates, confronting headed members journaled in said wall plates inaxial alignment, one of said headed members having diametrically opposedvsemi-hemispherical sockets spaced equidistant from its center, and theother of said headed members having diametric runway grooves at a rightangle to each other, a frame embodied in said casing, a rotor a rightangle to each other and one of which is in alignment with the saidsockets, balls in the aforesaid sockets, and frame connections betweenthe Wall plates of the casing, to hold the said headed members againstlongitudinal movement.

SAMUEL E. sE'CoY.

